Columns

Derby Day is approaching and you are going to have some friends over for a party; what to serve? Maybe you don’t want to grill because it is still snowing outside. So, how about a real Kentucky tradition: Burgoo. It probably started as a hunters stew originally containing squirrel, rabbit, venison, turkey or any wild game with a combination of vegetables.

Several years ago I vacationed in southern Florida. Thousands of people were there relaxing and seeking a good time. One night, while walking down one of the brightly lit streets in Naples, I passed a Western Union office. It was deserted except for the clerk and a woman. She had a telegram in her hand and was crying her heart out. It reminded me that even in the land of good times and seas breezes, hearts can still be broken.

We are nearing the end of the 2014 Regular Session, and, much like the week before, controversy hangs over the House because of procedures used to pass Kentucky’s road plan and how to pay for it.

On Tuesday, members of the House Committee on Appropriations and Revenue received a revised version of Governor Beshear’s proposed road plan and budget less than 15 minutes before the start of the meeting, meaning legislators had only a few minutes to review a document more than 220 pages long before a vote was called.

Have you ever wondered about the people who heard Jesus speak and didn’t believe? They saw him heal the blind and said it was from Satan. They saw him heal the lame and they said he did it on the Sabbath. He raised Lazarus from the dead and they said he must die. How can you stand in front of the Son of God, see him do unbelievable miracles and not believe? That is the power of sin. We all struggle with it all of our lives.

A friend of mine used to constantly mumble to herself, “Fret not”. We tend to blame our troubles and our worries on the circumstances of life,on what someone else has done to us. The truth of the matter is that most of our inner unhappiness results from our fretting ourselves.

Oh, for Pete’s sake! Another bra went missing. While packing for our trip, I made a last minute decision to toss my strapless model into the suitcase. Three times I rifled through my underwear drawer, but the rarely worn item had vanished.

I considered that it could have gone into hiding as it most likely felt under-appreciated, and perhaps a little forlorn. Strapless bras are intended to push things upward into an impressive display of cleavage that makes all their hard work and effort worthwhile. However, there is no glory to be had for my poor ol’ strapless.

On the 45th day of the legislative session, the House finally passed its budget bill. This leaves us in the Senate only 13 days to work on the budget, present it in a committee, and vote on a Senate version. Thirteen days, less than two weeks, and if we take 13, our power to veto is lost.

The children lined up in the cafeteria of a religious school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. A teacher made a note, “Take only one, God is watching.” At the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A boy wrote a note, “Take all you want, God is watching the apples.”